Tobacco-press



(No Model.)

R. L. ALEXANDER.

TOBACCO PRESS.

No. 257,454. 0 O Patented May 9,1882.

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IJ'NITEDA STATES PATENT Ormea.

ROBERT L. ALEXANDER, OF NEW LIBERTY, KENTUCKY.

TOBACCO-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,454, dated May 9, 1882,

Application filed March 23, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT L. ALEXANDER, of New Liberty, in the county of Owen and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tobacco-Presses,which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side View ot' the tobacco-press, showing the tobacco tub or hogshead in section. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same with the tub in section, and Fig. 3 is an'isometric view of the spreadingtollower.

The object of this invention is to provide an efficient tobaccopress, constructed in such a manner as to enable the operator to speedily pack the tobacco-leaves in casks, hogsheads, or barrels for shipment, and, further, to provide a means whereby the packer can pack in two packs alternately, allowing the packed and pressed leaves in one partially-tilledtub to be compressed while the otheris bein g filled, and so ou. Atthe same time the tobacco so compressed will'be packed evenly. To do this it has been customary to lill one tub with leaves and compress the same. When thus com pressed the tub is only partially filled, and it is necessary to allow the tub to remain in the press a certain length of time, so that l the pressed tobacco will set7 before removing the pressure of the screw. In the meantime the packers lose considerable time waitin g for the pressed tobacco to become compact. In this invention a follow -block capable of spreading within the tub is placed under the screw, and this is so arranged that when the press screw has compressed the tobacco the required amount the follower is expanded, so as to come in contact with the inner walls ofthe tub and prevent the compressed tobacco from again eX- panding when the press-screw is removed, as will be hereinafter shown. It also provides for a track or guideway, and trucks for the track, so that the compressed tobacco may be handled with facility, all of which will now be described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents ends of the crosshcad M.

O is an elevated cross-beam of equal length with the width of the base A. This beam is provided at each end with a metallic head or thimble, D, or its equivalent, which has on each side one or more brackets or projections, E E', through which the standards, supporting-arms, or posts F pass. The upper ends of the posts F are screw-threaded, and are provided below the brackets E with jam-nuts H, and on the upper side of the brackets E are suitable nuts, H ,whereby the posts are or may. be rigidly secured to the brackets and at the same time permit the beam C to be elevated or depressed a limited distance when desired. The lower ends of the posts F are also screwthreaded and pass through the base A. Jamnuts G rest on the upper surface of the base A, and nuts G on the under side serve to tighten the posts. l O represents the frame of a truck, having the journal-bearing ears P projecting downward, between which the wheels or rollers Q are journaled. This truck is preferably made small enough, so that its dimensions diagonally will be less than the interior diameter ot the tobacco tub or hogshead in which the leaf is to be packed. It will also be observed that the distance of the rails B from each other will in a measure be regulated by the size of the tub.

The cross-,beam O has centrally a vertical screw-threaded shaft, N, such as is ordinarily employed in presses. The lower end ofthis screw has a cross-head, M, in which it revolves.

The cross-head is, however, attached to the screw, so that it moves vertically therewith.

Below the cross-head M is a supplemental cross-head or followblock, I, having'v at each end and permanently secured to the followblock an npwardly-projectingarm or guidepiece, J. These arms pass through suitable mortises in the cross-beam, on opposite sides of the screw N, and also slide in gains J in the The arms J are provided with suitable holes, K, to receive pills L below or above the cross-head M, or both above and below the cross-head'. The followblock I is therefore adj nstablc to and from the material in the tub independently of the crosshead M. The object ot' this is to dispense with the use of a column of blocks under the crosshead or follow-blocks, as is now generally the ICO toothed edges mesh with the smalll pinion onv case, and to enable the packers to. more expeditiously and easily prepare the press after being filled.

In addition to the usual follow-board as now used, I also employ the supplementary adjustable follow-board', which is shown in Fig. 3. This is composed of the two side pieces, R It, of suitable length, united by the cross-pieces S S'. The frame thus constructed should be made of such dimensions that the diagonal measure is less than the interior diameter of the tub. The inner faces of the side pieces, R, are provided with grooves R', which grooves receive the limbs U of the U-shaped piecesUL Centrally through one of the cross-pieces S is an arbor, T, provided with a small pinion (not shown) on the under side of the cross-piece S; or this pinion vmay be placed on thearborata point between the upper and lower cross-pieces, S S. The upper end of the arbor 'is adapt-ed to receive a key, and the periphery is provided with a rack and a pawl or catch, T', so that it may be held at any point when the key is reremoved. The U-shaped pieces U are provided at a point midwaybetween the sidepieccs, R, with ears, to which are hinged the rack-bars V V. These rack-bars project inwardly between the upper and lower cross-bars, SS', on the opposite side-s of the arbor T, so that their.-

the arbor. It will bc observed thatas the ar-v bor is turned the U-shaped pieces move to, ward or from' each other in the grooves R.

The operation is as follows: The tubs are placed on their respective trucks, one on -each end ofthe track. As soonas one is illed it isv conveyed on the truck to a'point under thev screw N, and the common follow-board `first placed on the leaf or material to be compressed. The supplementary follow-board is then placed on the common follow-hoard. The adjustable follow-block I is then drawn down so that it rests on the opposite side pieces, R It, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and the pills L placed throughthe arms J under the cross-head M. The material is then compressed by the screw in the ordinary manner. lVhcn sufficienti y pressed the key is inserted in the arbor T and turned so that the U-shaped pieces recede from each'l other and bind against the opposing sides of the tub. The pawl T is now caused to engage with the rack on the arbor and thevkey removecb The adjustable follow board thus holds .the compressed material at this point, and the screw N is removed and the adjustable foll`owblock elevated and secured. In the meantime the other tub, having been filled, is ready to be moved under the screw, when the operation is repeated. While the second is being pressed the one first filled is held at Vthe point of compression, and so on. It is obvious that two or more of these trucks may be employed, and where more than two are employed the track would have to be increased in length, so that sufficient time would elapse between the successive tillings7 to give the pressed material time to set before retillin g. The follow'- block is also used upon quitting work at night and -at dinner-hour, or in case the tobacco should dry out,fin ythe positions shown .in Figs. 1 and 2.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In presses, a supplementary follow-board adapted, lsubstantially as herein shown, to eX- pand and bind against the opposing sides of a tub,=,hogshead, barrel, or similar receptacle, for holding the compressed contents of said receptacle, as herein set forth.

2. Iupresses, the adjustable follow-board, composed of the frame R S S', having the grooves R, arbor T, rack and pawl T', and pinion, or their equivalent,in combination with the U:shaped pieces U, having hinged thereto the rack-bars V, all operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In presses, a supplementary expanding and'adjustable follow-board, as shown, in combination with a press, substantially as herein set forth. v

4. In presses, the combination of the screw N, having at the lower end'a cross-head, M, provided at cachend with the gains J', and the independently-adjustable follow-block I, 11a-ving the guidearms J, provided with holes Kand pins L, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown.

In testimony that I claimV the foregoing I hav-e hereunto set my hand, this 13th day of MarclnlSSZ, in the presence of witnesses. Y

ROBERT L. ALEXANDER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM B. BOND, n JOHN J. ALEXANDER. 

